The invention relates to a process for the extraction of date fruits.
The extraction of dates which contain about 50% sugar, mainly invert sugar, and the further processing of the extract to obtain a date syrup, date sugar, yeast, etc. is known. Thus, in the German published application No. 2,459,407, a process is described for the extraction of date fruits wherein the dates are dried prior to the treatment to a water content of at most 15% and are subsequently cut lengthwise together with the pit whereupon the thus formed shreds or chips are subjected to the extraction. The cell structure of the dates is thus preserved during the diffusion.
The published application of the German Federal Republic No. 2,459,353 also described a process wherein the dates are comminuted into sharply defined shreds. By means of the extraction a thin juice is obtained which is filtered in a settling filter upon addition of the conventional filter aids such as kieselguhr or pearlite. The date pulp obtained by pressing the filter residue is then dried. A clear filtration of the date slurry, however, was considered not possible heretofore.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a process in which date fruits are extracted in a manner that the use of the resulting filter cake as a feed or feed additive is possible without the undesirable action of inorganic filter aids.